Familiar Stranger
by animelover1910
Summary: When a car crash leaves Amu without any memories of the past 6 years, she tries to adjust to life with her husband and daughter. But when she meets the mysterious Ikuto and his daughter Tsukiko, she can't help but be drawn to them. There were secrets Ikuto was hiding from her, and Amu had yet to know that they were a huge part of her past. AMUTO
1. Prologue

**Lena: Sooooo...Here's a rewrite of Familiar Stranger Prologue cuz the other one was WAAAAAY too boring. ^^**** Again, the Shugo Chara cast is on vacation! So is Kitsu-chan. *Sigh* I feel so lonely. :(  
**

**Well anyways, please enjoy! I don't own Shugo Chara or any of its characters! Everything goes to Peach-Pit! But I DO own the storyline!**

* * *

He loves me. He _loved_ me. Why did he betray me? It didn't make sense!

The busy streets of Osaka rushed pass the tinted window of my red car, leaving me behind like everything else. Everything I truly wanted disappeared down the drain, all because of him, him and his heartless actions. I wanted to forget all about him. I wanted to forget everything that had to do with him. I wanted a new life—a life where I could start over and find someone who would treat me like he promised he would.

_Why? Why? How could you do that? You _love_ me! You said we'd stay together forever! That nothing would destroy our feelings for each other! Why?!_

I screamed and hit the wheel, accidentally emitting a loud _beep_ from my car. Drivers near returned the din back in anger, some flashing the finger as they drove pass. I was too angry to say anything to them. But I was _so_ angry that I stepped on the accelerator even more, going far pass the speed limit.

Every time I got dangerously close to another vehicle, I'd think it was the end. That it was the end for me. But it wasn't. I always managed to avoid a crash at the last second. It was like I didn't want to die. I knew that I could just slam my foot on the accelerator and everything would end, but why didn't I? The person I loved was gone. He'd betrayed me. The man who was my entire life loved someone else. There was nothing for me, so why couldn't I just die? Something was stopping me…but what? Was it because I was afraid of death? Or did I still forgive him and want to go back home? Maybe I still hoped that when I got home, he'd give me bouquets of roses and a bunch of teddy bears, asking me to forgive him.

But that would never happen, would it? After all, he'd been enjoying himself with that girl. Even if he begged for forgiveness, I wouldn't give it. But if I didn't, what would happen from now on?

Weaving through the midnight traffic, I changed lanes and turned completely at random, not caring where my destination was. Just not home.

But that wasn't my home anymore. I couldn't call it home. It was _his_ home now.

I put even more pressure on the accelerator in my anger and misery. The road was no longer in my line of vision. The blinking dashboard was, and as I tried to blink away my tears to see what it was trying to tell me, I realized I was running out of fuel.

While looking at the blinking reminder, I noticed my hands. And then my gaze went to the ring finger of my left hand. It was still there, the ring of gold and silver was still there. And the diamond shone as brightly as ever.

My vision blurred again, even more than before, as I thought of the time I received the expensive piece of jewellery. But before the memory could envelop me completely, I was suddenly aware of how close the car in front of me was.

I slammed on the brakes on instinct, the drivers behind me laying on their horns as they, too, were forced to mimic me.

_See? I don't want to die..._

I was afraid of death. I didn't want to die. I still had a tiny bit of hope that everything was just a dream, and that everything would be fine in the morning.

I stepped on the accelerator again, though much calmer than before. The car was moving smoothly across the highway now.

_Maybe I should just go back…_

Looking out the window to see where I was, a familiar car caught my eye. I squinted my eyes to see who the driver was through the tinted window, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw him. It came out as a choked laugh when I saw who he was with.

I was wrong. That tiny bit of hope was gone. She had crushed it—crushed it beneath those expensive looking heels of hers. But of course, I _assumed_ she wore expensive heels. I didn't know, because when I saw them together, her shoes weren't on—and more was about to come off if I hadn't interrupted.

My foot was back to putting pressure on the accelerator. I wasn't looking at the road, I was looking at him. He was staring at her—staring at her with a gaze that disgusted me. But his eyes suddenly widened, and I swore he was looking at me. I held his gaze for a second longer than I'd wanted, and turned back to the road. But that one second changed everything.

A scream was ripped from my throat when the vehicle got closer and closer. I thought I'd go deaf from the sound of my voice. But before the two vehicles made contact, I heard a sound cutting between the screams and screeches of brakes...

"Amu!"

His voice.

* * *

**Lena: Okay, its really short...but its a prologue, right? ^^ Anyways, I wonder who she could be talking about? X3 Wait for updates to find out! :D  
**

**Please R&R!**

**P.S. I re-did the poll on my profile about which story I should post next! So make sure to go vote again! :)**


	2. Who is He?

**Lena: Sorry for the wait! Through My Eyes will also be updated this weekend!**

**Kitsu: I don't think your reviewers like to wait...**

**Lena: I know! DX But speaking of reviewers, I hardly got ANY last chapter! DX**

**Lily-Rose: Now that's sad... :(**

**Lena: I know! DX**

**Ikuto: Its because there's no Amuto at all right now... -_- They all want Amuto!**

**Amu: I think its fine the way it is... :)**

**Lena: I promise Amuto will come soon! And if you don't like Tadase, he'll be gone when the Amuto comes!**

**Kitsu: Well enough of the yelling...**

**Lily-Rose: Lena-chan does not own any of these kawaii Shugo Chara characters or the show either!**

**Lena: I wish I did though~! :)**

* * *

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

"Please take care of us." I bowed in respect to Fujisaki-san when all the guests had left.

Fujisaki-san was cleaning up the glasses and dishes, piling them into the sink, when I spoke and she turned to face me with a smile.

"Your company is always appreciated, Amu-chan. Please don't be so polite." She laughed a sweet, melodic laugh that rang across the room.

"Th-thank you, Fujisaki-san." I smiled.

"Call me Nadeshiko." Her hands were now busy with the dishes, cleaning each one with detergent carefully. I realized I looked like an idiot while standing there and staring, and when it finally processed in my brain, I rushed up to help her.

A dark figure blocked my way and beat me to it. When I looked up, my eyes were met with a blur of blue hair and I stumbled back, watching as Ikuto offered to help. I was dumbfounded for a moment, I didn't know why, but when Tadase put a hand on my shoulder, I snapped back to reality.

"I'm just going to take Kiyomi outside for a bit. She really wants to go on the elevator again," he told me, chuckling. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes." The door was shut gently as he walked out with our daughter.

I sank down on the couch, watching as Ikuto and Nadeshiko washed the dishes. The more I watched them, the more convinced I was that Tsukiko was _their_ daughter. They seemed friendly with each other, their chatting heard above the rushing water. I saw contact between them too, their hands touching for split seconds and hands on the other's shoulder for reassurance, most coming from Ikuto.

His gaze flashed to mine a couple of times, before resuming to Nadeshiko's.

I felt guilty that I was giving him so much attention, but there was something about his aura that was just so compelling. It was mysterious. And the way he looked at me told me he knew something. I wanted to know what it was, I wanted to know my past with him. 'University pals' didn't sum it up. There was more.

The shrill sound of the phone broke my thoughts, and I scrambled up to find where it was. Nadeshiko beat me to it, as she knew its location in the large suite.

I had no other choice but to settle into the leather couch again, and resume to losing myself in my thoughts. That was just what I was about to do when I heard the tap turn off and footsteps move closer to me. Turning my head, I saw the man occupying my thoughts walk over and sink down into the couch across from me.

Now this was awkward.

I didn't know what to do—ignore him or talk to him. He seemed to be looking around the room, his gaze landing everywhere but on me. I was doing the opposite. I took in his shaggy hair, the blank look in his eyes, his dark clothing, his mysterious aura, the way his foot tapped the rug in a steady rhythm, everything. Stopping to look at his face, I realized his eyes had found their way to mine.

His lips moved.

"So, is Tadase your husband? When did you get married?"

My brain had suddenly slowed, taking many seconds to process every work he was saying.

"Tadase, uh…three years ago," I answered unsurely. "I think." Crap. Shouldn't have added that.

"Don't remember your marriage? Predictable." His voice sounded like ice, a complete change from when I had introduced myself before. It was so different, so cold. "Why are you here anyways? I thought you lived in Osaka?"

How did he know? Why did he not want me here?

My voice shook a bit when I answered.

"We, uh, Tadase suggested we should move. I didn't know you lived here…um, I actually don't know you at all. We went to the same university, right?" I asked, my gaze now lowered to the red carpet. It flickered to his once in a while, but quickly lowered again at his eyes of steel.

He didn't believe a single word I said.

"Really, Ikuto…"— I almost stopped at the surprise of saying his first name instead of last—"I don't remember you." I had no choice but to tell him and it came tumbling off my lips, "I had an accident a few months ago, and I've got amnesia. Did something happen between us before that?" I tried. He was hard to talk to, yet I knew I couldn't snap at him. All I could do was slowly, calmly, reply to his words.

"Amnesia?" His eyes were wide, those blue orbs getting slightly smaller. "So you…don't remember anything…?"

Relieved at his change of attitude, I, almost, happily answered, "It seems I can't remember anything from the past six years. So…anything from when I was twenty-two or twenty-one, which was my third or fourth year of university. Were we close? I'm sorry I don't remember you." I gave a shy grin.

He drew back from me, avoiding my eyes. Was that embarrassment? Or was it disgust?

Ikuto cleared his throat, and then met my gaze with cautiousness.

"How much can you remember from university?" He was doing it again, that look that seemed to show everything yet nothing at the same time. There was something weird about the look he was giving me, like he knew more than I knew about myself, and he wasn't planning on telling me.

"Um…Kukai met a girl on an online dating site…we were at an amusement park and met you in our second year…you were majoring in…psychology I think…and…wait, no, you told us you were planning on changing majors and studying abroad because…wait, and then…" Something was tugging at the back of my mind, like I was trying to remember something far, far away. This always happened when I tried to remember, but I _wanted_ to remember. Was I ever going to remember?

"And I guess that's where it ends." I shrugged.

"Yes, I did go to study abroad…and…yes, that's what happened," he spoke his thoughts out loud. "So you don't remember anything else?"

I shook my head.

"And…"

"Did I do something in those six years?" I blurted. "I mean, like, it seems like you don't like me or something…" It probably wasn't the best thing to bring up, but I always blurted the wrong things at the wrong time.

"Oh, I, uh…" he trailed off, at a loss of words. Then, as if he remembered that he was supposed to be cold to me, his gaze hardened and he placed that façade around him again. "It's nothing you need to know about."

I heard footsteps outside, fortunately giving me an excuse not to reply.

"Kiyomi's soooo tired." I heard our daughter giggle as she walked in along with Tadase.

"We'll get you to bed right away Kiyomi." The blond laughed and picked her up.

Ikuto noticed them and turned around to lock gazes with Tadase. Something passed between them, and then my husband calmly walked towards me, slightly dipping his head in respect to Ikuto. The bluenette did the same.

"Mama! I wanna sleep," Kiyomi whined, grabbing onto my legs. "Can we sleep?"

"Yes Kiyomi, let's take you to your room." I smiled and faced Tadase. "We'll be going then."

I glanced at Ikuto.

"It was nice meeting you. I'm sorry to have kept you here for so long, you and Tsukiko must be tired."

"No, I'm going now." He got up from the couch and sauntered towards a room in the house.

"Wait, aren't you going home?" I asked.

"I live here too," Ikuto called over his shoulder, and then closed the door.

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

I looked up at the ceiling of the room from the bed, Tsukiko snuggling beside me, tracing random dots to another while more thoughts occupied my mind.

Why did Ikuto live here? What did he know about me? Why did he seem to hate me? What happened between us that I forgot? Did he like Nadeshiko?

That last question got me thinking about my thinking, about how much Ikuto had filled my thoughts in those few hours. What surprised me the most was that I subconsciously started calling him by his first name without his permission. Did he not like that? Did he think it was rude?

I buried my head under the covers, then sighed. This was bad. I was married, I couldn't let some guy get into my head.

"Ne, Tadase?" I whispered, careful not to wake Kiyomi. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, probably on the verge of falling asleep. "What is it?"

"Do you know Ikuto? Like, was he a friend?"

"I didn't go to your university," was all he said. I noted he didn't actually give me an answer.

"Yeah, but it seems like you know him," I pressed further. "Did you two meet before?"

"Tsukiyomi-san was from your university… I don't believe I've seen him before."

Hearing Ikuto's last name spoken suddenly had my curiosity replaced with guilt. I didn't think Tadase noticed (_Did_ Tadase notice my attention towards him?) but I felt the need to explain myself.

"W-Well, I-Ikuto-_kun_ was my friend from university, s-so, I assumed we were close, that's why…"

"What are you talking about Amu?" he asked, and I felt the mattress shift at his weight.

"Oh…n-nothing…" I blushed, though I was sure no one could see it.

Deciding to stay silent after that, I resumed to tracing dots on the ceiling with my eyes. And feeling guilty. The names Ikuto and Tsukiyomi spun around in my mind, unsure of which one to call him. Maybe I could just continue with calling him Ikuto, and I'd just introduce him to Tadase later on. That might get rid of my guilt, if I told Tadase about Ikuto and our lives during university.

I scrunched my brows as a thought popped up into my mind.

_Did I tell Tadase Ikuto's name before?_

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

The next morning, I woke up to a very appetizing breakfast consisting of rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), broiled salmon, and pickled vegetables. Nadeshiko-san was an amazing cook, and I'd complemented her dishes many times during breakfast. It was crazy how much of a difference there was between hers and mine. I made a quick note to ask her for her recipes.

When we all finished, I was the one who helped her with the dishes this time, as Ikuto was still sleeping in his room. I was thankful for that, since it helped take my mind off him for at least a while and helped me meet Tadase's gaze without a look of guilt. I was happily enjoying the morning until, of course, the door to Ikuto's bedroom creaked open and the bluenette walked out of the room with his daughter, both looking a little drowsy.

I either mentally sighed or cheered, I didn't know which, but he turned to look at me as if he heard the silent reaction. His eyes were quickly averted, though.

"Go brush your teeth Tsukiko," Ikuto gently told her. "I'll be waiting out here until you're done."

The girl nodded in response and ran off, her soft footsteps echoing through the apartment.

"Is it the usual?" he asked Nadeshiko, glancing at the table. She nodded, flashing a smile.

_They sure know each other well…_

I almost flinched at my inner thoughts. What was I thinking? Banging my head on a wall was what I wanted to do, but of course, that'd earn worrisome looks from everyone around me and they'd conclude I was somehow mental.

"Amu?" Tadase seemed to repeat.

"…what?"

"We're planning to go take a look at some apartments here, do you think now would be a good time to leave? We'll be eating out."

"Ah, okay then." I quickly walked to where he was and turned to call, "Nadeshiko-san! We'll be leaving for a few hours!"

"Sure Amu-chan! Have fun!" she called back from somewhere in the kitchen.

When I turned to leave, I saw Ikuto sitting on a couch in the living room, his cold gaze boring holes into mine. This time he made no move to hide it, he just continued to stare at me until I found it uncomfortable and ripped my eyes away from his gaze, closing the door behind me.

This wouldn't be good, as Ikuto would fill my thoughts again this whole entire day. I wouldn't be able to look at Tadase in the eye, and wouldn't be able to concentrate on the apartments…everything I would be thinking about would be Ikuto.

* * *

**Lena: Okay, short chapter...couldn't find much to write…:(**

**Ikuto: When will there be Amuto?! O.O**

**Lily-Rose: Soon.**

**Kitsu: _Too_ soon... -_-**

**Amu: Yes, indeed _too_ soon. I wanna spend time with Tadase!**

**Ikuto: We all know you're lying to yourself. You really love me, right?**

**Amu: O/O Who said _that_?**

**Lena: You yourself said so~! ^_^**

**Lily-Rose: Okay, please R&R!**

**Lena: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE R&R! I want at least 3 reviews...please? :3**


	3. Center of My Thoughts

**Lena: Sorry for the wait! Through My Eyes will also be updated this weekend!**

**Kitsu: I don't think your reviewers like to wait...**

**Lena: I know! DX But speaking of reviewers, I hardly got ANY last chapter! DX**

**Lily-Rose: Now that's sad... :(**

**Lena: I know! DX**

**Ikuto: Its because there's no Amuto at all right now... -_- They all want Amuto!**

**Amu: I think its fine the way it is... :)**

**Lena: I promise Amuto will come soon! And if you don't like Tadase, he'll be gone when the Amuto comes!**

**Kitsu: Well enough of the yelling...**

**Lily-Rose: Lena-chan does not own any of these kawaii Shugo Chara characters or the show either!**

**Lena: I wish I did though~! :)**

* * *

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

"Please take care of us." I bowed in respect to Fujisaki-san when all the guests had left.

Fujisaki-san was cleaning up the glasses and dishes, piling them into the sink, when I spoke and she turned to face me with a smile.

"Your company is always appreciated, Amu-chan. Please don't be so polite." She laughed a sweet, melodic laugh that rang across the room.

"Th-thank you, Fujisaki-san." I smiled.

"Call me Nadeshiko." Her hands were now busy with the dishes, cleaning each one with detergent carefully. I realized I looked like an idiot while standing there and staring, and when it finally processed in my brain, I rushed up to help her.

A dark figure blocked my way and beat me to it. When I looked up, my eyes were met with a blur of blue hair and I stumbled back, watching as Ikuto offered to help. I was dumbfounded for a moment, I didn't know why, but when Tadase put a hand on my shoulder, I snapped back to reality.

"I'm just going to take Kiyomi outside for a bit. She really wants to go on the elevator again," he told me, chuckling. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes." The door was shut gently as he walked out with our daughter.

I sank down on the couch, watching as Ikuto and Nadeshiko washed the dishes. The more I watched them, the more convinced I was that Tsukiko was _their_ daughter. They seemed friendly with each other, their chatting heard above the rushing water. I saw contact between them too, their hands touching for split seconds and hands on the other's shoulder for reassurance, most coming from Ikuto.

His gaze flashed to mine a couple of times, before resuming to Nadeshiko's.

I felt guilty that I was giving him so much attention, but there was something about his aura that was just so compelling. It was mysterious. And the way he looked at me told me he knew something. I wanted to know what it was, I wanted to know my past with him. 'University pals' didn't sum it up. There was more.

The shrill sound of the phone broke my thoughts, and I scrambled up to find where it was. Nadeshiko beat me to it, as she knew its location in the large suite.

I had no other choice but to settle into the leather couch again, and resume to losing myself in my thoughts. That was just what I was about to do when I heard the tap turn off and footsteps move closer to me. Turning my head, I saw the man occupying my thoughts walk over and sink down into the couch across from me.

Now this was awkward.

I didn't know what to do—ignore him or talk to him. He seemed to be looking around the room, his gaze landing everywhere but on me. I was doing the opposite. I took in his shaggy hair, the blank look in his eyes, his dark clothing, his mysterious aura, the way his foot tapped the rug in a steady rhythm, everything. Stopping to look at his face, I realized his eyes had found their way to mine.

His lips moved.

"So, is Tadase your husband? When did you get married?"

My brain had suddenly slowed, taking many seconds to process every work he was saying.

"Tadase, uh…three years ago," I answered unsurely. "I think." Crap. Shouldn't have added that.

"Don't remember your marriage? Predictable." His voice sounded like ice, a complete change from when I had introduced myself before. It was so different, so cold. "Why are you here anyways? I thought you lived in Osaka?"

How did he know? Why did he not want me here?

My voice shook a bit when I answered.

"We, uh, Tadase suggested we should move. I didn't know you lived here…um, I actually don't know you at all. We went to the same university, right?" I asked, my gaze now lowered to the red carpet. It flickered to his once in a while, but quickly lowered again at his eyes of steel.

He didn't believe a single word I said.

"Really, Ikuto…"— I almost stopped at the surprise of saying his first name instead of last—"I don't remember you." I had no choice but to tell him and it came tumbling off my lips, "I had an accident a few months ago, and I've got amnesia. Did something happen between us before that?" I tried. He was hard to talk to, yet I knew I couldn't snap at him. All I could do was slowly, calmly, reply to his words.

"Amnesia?" His eyes were wide, those blue orbs getting slightly smaller. "So you…don't remember anything…?"

Relieved at his change of attitude, I, almost, happily answered, "It seems I can't remember anything from the past six years. So…anything from when I was twenty-two or twenty-one, which was my third or fourth year of university. Were we close? I'm sorry I don't remember you." I gave a shy grin.

He drew back from me, avoiding my eyes. Was that embarrassment? Or was it disgust?

Ikuto cleared his throat, and then met my gaze with cautiousness.

"How much can you remember from university?" He was doing it again, that look that seemed to show everything yet nothing at the same time. There was something weird about the look he was giving me, like he knew more than I knew about myself, and he wasn't planning on telling me.

"Um…Kukai met a girl on an online dating site…we were at an amusement park and met you in our second year…you were majoring in…psychology I think…and…wait, no, you told us you were planning on changing majors and studying abroad because…wait, and then…" Something was tugging at the back of my mind, like I was trying to remember something far, far away. This always happened when I tried to remember, but I _wanted_ to remember. Was I ever going to remember?

"And I guess that's where it ends." I shrugged.

"Yes, I did go to study abroad…and…yes, that's what happened," he spoke his thoughts out loud. "So you don't remember anything else?"

I shook my head.

"And…"

"Did I do something in those six years?" I blurted. "I mean, like, it seems like you don't like me or something…" It probably wasn't the best thing to bring up, but I always blurted the wrong things at the wrong time.

"Oh, I, uh…" he trailed off, at a loss of words. Then, as if he remembered that he was supposed to be cold to me, his gaze hardened and he placed that façade around him again. "It's nothing you need to know about."

I heard footsteps outside, fortunately giving me an excuse not to reply.

"Kiyomi's soooo tired." I heard our daughter giggle as she walked in along with Tadase.

"We'll get you to bed right away Kiyomi." The blond laughed and picked her up.

Ikuto noticed them and turned around to lock gazes with Tadase. Something passed between them, and then my husband calmly walked towards me, slightly dipping his head in respect to Ikuto. The bluenette did the same.

"Mama! I wanna sleep," Kiyomi whined, grabbing onto my legs. "Can we sleep?"

"Yes Kiyomi, let's take you to your room." I smiled and faced Tadase. "We'll be going then."

I glanced at Ikuto.

"It was nice meeting you. I'm sorry to have kept you here for so long, you and Tsukiko must be tired."

"No, I'm going now." He got up from the couch and sauntered towards a room in the house.

"Wait, aren't you going home?" I asked.

"I live here too," Ikuto called over his shoulder, and then closed the door.

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

I looked up at the ceiling of the room from the bed, Tsukiko snuggling beside me, tracing random dots to another while more thoughts occupied my mind.

Why did Ikuto live here? What did he know about me? Why did he seem to hate me? What happened between us that I forgot? Did he like Nadeshiko?

That last question got me thinking about my thinking, about how much Ikuto had filled my thoughts in those few hours. What surprised me the most was that I subconsciously started calling him by his first name without his permission. Did he not like that? Did he think it was rude?

I buried my head under the covers, then sighed. This was bad. I was married, I couldn't let some guy get into my head.

"Ne, Tadase?" I whispered, careful not to wake Kiyomi. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, probably on the verge of falling asleep. "What is it?"

"Do you know Ikuto? Like, was he a friend?"

"I didn't go to your university," was all he said. I noted he didn't actually give me an answer.

"Yeah, but it seems like you know him," I pressed further. "Did you two meet before?"

"Tsukiyomi-san was from your university… I don't believe I've seen him before."

Hearing Ikuto's last name spoken suddenly had my curiosity replaced with guilt. I didn't think Tadase noticed (_Did_ Tadase notice my attention towards him?) but I felt the need to explain myself.

"W-Well, I-Ikuto-_kun_ was my friend from university, s-so, I assumed we were close, that's why…"

"What are you talking about Amu?" he asked, and I felt the mattress shift at his weight.

"Oh…n-nothing…" I blushed, though I was sure no one could see it.

Deciding to stay silent after that, I resumed to tracing dots on the ceiling with my eyes. And feeling guilty. The names Ikuto and Tsukiyomi spun around in my mind, unsure of which one to call him. Maybe I could just continue with calling him Ikuto, and I'd just introduce him to Tadase later on. That might get rid of my guilt, if I told Tadase about Ikuto and our lives during university.

I scrunched my brows as a thought popped up into my mind.

_Did I tell Tadase Ikuto's name before?_

It didn't make sense. I couldn't recall ever introducing Ikuto to Tadase, yet how did he know Ikuto was Tsukiyomi-san?

It could've just been my forgetful mind, and I'd actually told Tadase about him before, or maybe I'd talked about Ikuto before the accident, but there was a tiny chance, a very tiny, almost impossible chance that Tadase had lied to me.

But why would he lie?

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

The next morning, I woke up to a very appetizing breakfast consisting of rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), broiled salmon, and pickled vegetables. Nadeshiko-san was an amazing cook, and I'd complemented her dishes many times during breakfast. It was crazy how much of a difference there was between hers and mine. I made a quick note to ask her for her recipes.

When we all finished, I was the one who helped her with the dishes this time, as Ikuto was still sleeping in his room. I was thankful for that, since it helped take my mind off him for at least a while and helped me meet Tadase's gaze without a look of guilt. I was happily enjoying the morning until, of course, the door to Ikuto's bedroom creaked open and the bluenette walked out of the room with his daughter, both looking a little drowsy.

I either mentally sighed or cheered, I didn't know which, but he turned to look at me as if he heard the silent reaction. His eyes were quickly averted, though.

"Go brush your teeth Tsukiko," Ikuto gently told her. "I'll be waiting out here until you're done."

The girl nodded in response and ran off, her soft footsteps echoing through the apartment.

"Is it the usual?" he asked Nadeshiko, glancing at the table. She nodded, flashing a smile.

_They sure know each other well…_

I almost flinched at my inner thoughts. What was I thinking? Banging my head on a wall was what I wanted to do, but of course, that'd earn worrisome looks from everyone around me and they'd conclude I was somehow mental.

"Amu?" Tadase seemed to repeat.

"…what?"

"We're planning to go take a look at some apartments here, do you think now would be a good time to leave? We'll be eating out."

"Ah, okay then." I quickly walked to where he was and turned to call, "Nadeshiko-san! We'll be leaving for a few hours!"

"Sure Amu-chan! Have fun!" she called back from somewhere in the kitchen.

When I turned to leave, I saw Ikuto sitting on a couch in the living room, his cold gaze boring holes into mine. This time he made no move to hide it, he just continued to stare at me until I found it uncomfortable and ripped my eyes away from his gaze, closing the door behind me.

This wouldn't be good, as Ikuto would fill my thoughts again this whole entire day. I wouldn't be able to look at Tadase in the eye, and wouldn't be able to concentrate on the apartments…everything I would be thinking about would be Ikuto.

* * *

**Lena: Okay, short chapter...couldn't find much to write…:(**

**Ikuto: When will there be Amuto?! O.O**

**Lily-Rose: Soon.**

**Kitsu: _Too_ soon... -_-**

**Amu: Yes, indeed _too_ soon. I wanna spend time with Tadase!**

**Ikuto: We all know you're lying to yourself. You really love me, right?**

**Amu: O/O Who said _that_?**

**Lena: You yourself said so~! ^_^**

**Lily-Rose: Okay, please R&R!**

**Lena: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE R&R! I want at least 3 reviews...please? :3**


	4. A Hint to Our Past

**Lena: Yay! I actually updated on the expected posting date! **

**Kitsu: Hooray... -_-**

**Lena: Hooray for me! :D**

**Ikuto: Is this chapter fluffy?**

**Lena: Meh, not really. ^^ I had major writer's block for this chapter, because I have everything planned out, yet I'm not sure if its too early or not to be giving clues about Ikuto and Amu's past. ^^ I had to think of something quickly... :(**

**Amu: Well at least you got it done. Hurry up and let us read it! :)**

**Lily-Rose: Lena-chan doesn't own Shugo Chara or any of its characters in any way! But she _does _own this plot and this whole fanfic!**

**Lena: Thanks Lily. :)**

* * *

I had managed to avoid Ikuto for three days now, after that 'chat' we had, and he hadn't tried to get any closer either. He kept his distance from me, locking himself away in his room and only coming out for meals, drinks, and occasionally to talk to Nadeshiko about something I would never know of. It had given me some strange thoughts, about how they were so close, but I knew I shouldn't be sticking my nose in other people's business, especially when one of them had made my life incredibly awkward now that I knew he had hated me for something I didn't remember.

In those Ikuto-free days, I had spent all my time doing what I usually did, play with Kiyomi, chat with Nadeshiko for a bit, and curl up in the bed, reading the large collection of novels the house provided. I could occasionally read with Tadase, but he was still busy looking for a job.

I was putting my fourth novel back on the shelf when something in my pocket started to vibrate. I fished out my beeping cell phone. A text from Utau, whom I had just exchanged numbers with days before, was blinking on the screen and I tapped at it.

She was telling me to meet her at this café not too far from the hotel, saying that she had something really important to tell me and that I needed to see her right away.

Sighing, I glanced at the bookshelf again, compelled to take another book and read instead of leaving the house. But I needed some fresh air after being cooped up in the house for a day. I forced my feet to move away from the books and trudged towards the door.

"Nadeshiko-san! I'll be leaving for a while, be back in an hour or so!" I called, putting my shoes on.

"Nadeshiko's out too," a deep voice came from the study.

My head snapped back at the voice and I saw Ikuto, for the first time in days, walk out of the room. He seemed indifferent about everything around him as he went to pour a glass of water, staring at a spot on the wall as he slowly sipped at it.

"O-Oh, I..." I tried to stare somewhere else too. "Um, tell Nadeshiko I'm meeting a friend, if she asks, okay?"

Turning towards the door, I swung it open and escaped the awkward scene, pushing at the elevator button rapidly in fear that Ikuto would follow me.

The relieving ding rang through my ears and I stepped into the elevator with a sigh, leaning against one of its walls as it slowly descended.

I clutched at my hair.

Why did I just run away?

I hated how I got so nervous around Ikuto, almost like I had some crush on him or something. It was horrible, and I felt guilty every time I saw Tadase's face now. He didn't know about how Ikuto made me feel, and he didn't know about my past like Ikuto did. Why couldn't I just get him out of my mind?

I pleaded, _pleaded_, that Tadase would soon find a suitable apartment for us and I could move out of that horrible penthouse. Sure I would miss Nadeshiko, but I really wanted to get far, far away from Ikuto. Maybe then he'd disappear from my thoughts.

When the doors hissed open, I stepped outside and made my way to the exit.

Utau told me the café was walking distance, and only a few blocks away. I followed her directions and turned left, continuing to sort my thoughts out on the sidewalk.

I was so immersed in my thinking, about how to avoid Ikuto of course, that I almost walked right pass the department store in which the café was in. Looking around for the designated spot, I finally saw the red characters of Miyakoshiya Coffee on a wall. There, a certain blonde, wearing dark shades and a hat, was waving her hands in the air, trying to get my attention.

"Amu!" she called.

I walked to where she was sitting, in a corner that wasn't as busy as the rest of the area. The way she was dressed and how she was flipping through a magazine hinted that she didn't really want to be noticed.

"Hi," I greeted, sitting down in one of the wooden chairs. "I thought you would be working at this time."

"Nah, they gave me a break today. No shoots for me." She returned my smile.

I gave a puzzled look.

"Shoots?"

"Yeah, shoots. I get a day off."

"Wait, what shoots? You mean photo shoots? Like, for models…?"

"You mean you haven't heard of me?" She sat up straight in her chair, and then slowly sank back down with a mild blush on her cheeks. "I mean, you don't _have _to know who I am, but everyone does…"

"What?" I leaned closer. "No, I don't think so…what is it?" I tried not to panic as she stared at me with a questioning gaze, like I had come from a different world.

Without speaking, she held up the magazine she was looking at a pointed to the model on the front page. I wasn't the type to flip through magazines, so I hadn't noticed, but the girl on the cover was none other than the girl sitting in front of me.

"Wait, you're a…model?" Had my assumption been correct that time at the party?

She shook her head, lowering her sunglasses a bit to look me in the eye.

"I'm the famous singer Hoshina Utau, the one who debuted two years ago and got in the top three with my first songs. It was all over the news."

"O-Oh…?" I cocked my head to the side. "I-I don't remember at all…"

She said two years ago, which meant that I had absolutely no memory of it at all. How was I supposed to explain this without telling her about my accident?

"Its fine if you don't know me. I was just a little surprised, that's all." Utau laughed. "Anyways, on why I called you here, Kukai told me something important and I needed to talk to you about it." She placed her hands on the table in a serious manner.

"Okay...go on…" I leaned a little closer too, as if we were discussing top secret information.

"It's about Ikuto," she told me.

I almost flinched and jumped back, but thought better of it, though I couldn't help it if some blush had formed on my cheeks.

"And, what about him?"

The more I thought about it, the more curious I was. I completely forgot that Kukai had been with us in university and that he probably knew what had been going on with Ikuto and me. Maybe I could find out about my past without even needing to talk to Ikuto.

"Well, apparently, you and Ikuto had some sort of fight sometime in your fourth year of university, right?"

I could only nod, even though I had no idea what she was talking about. This information was precious and I didn't want to steer the subject away by telling her I didn't remember anything.

There was a really long silence before Utau made a move to speak, and I had to strain my ears to listen.

"Did he…do anything to you?" Her voice had lowered to a barely audible whisper at the last words.

My eyes widened.

More silence hung in the air around us as I tried to wrap my head around her words.

Did Ikuto _do _anything to me?

Was she implying that he…?

"W-What do you mean?" I stammered.

"I heard from Kukai that you suddenly disappeared after the fight, and when he went to see your parents, all they said was ab—

There was suddenly a ringing from around us and Utau picked up her cell phone, cussing before she answered it.

"Yukari-san?" There was some talking from the other line before she frowned. "What? But they said it was cancelled today!" A pause. "Oh alright, I'll be there right away."

She hung up and turned to me with a sheepish look.

"Work?" I asked before she could explain.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about this." She bowed.

"Oh, its fine!" I gestured for her to stand up before I got too embarrassed. "You can tell me later if you have to," I said, but on the inside, I was screaming at her to finish her sentence.

When I watched her walk away, I was struggling not to grab her and shake her by the shoulders, to scream at her to explain what had happened between Ikuto and I.

I sighed.

If Ikuto really did do something to me…how was I going to face him?

"What am I supposed to do?" I buried my head in my hands.

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•Familiar Stranger•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

After having a cup of coffee at the café, I made my way back to the hotel at a snail's pace. I trudged along the sidewalk, deep in my thoughts. It seriously was a pain to have the same person cause the most dreadful problems of your life. And all of these problems involving Ikuto had me thinking about him even more. What was I going to do about him? I wanted to forget…

_Why did we even move to Hokkaido? Couldn't we just stay in Osaka?_

Seeing the hotel drawing near made me try to slow my pace down even more, but that was hardly possible. Instead, I tried to convince myself that some Kami-sama had responded to my help and Ikuto somehow moved out…or maybe Tadase had found a job _and _a suitable apartment for us to move into. Maybe Tadase decided for us to rent a different room in the hotel instead...or maybe Ikuto couldn't stand my presence anymore so _he_ moved to a different room.

Satisfied with my predictions, I stepped into the hotel lobby, walking to the elevator that took me to the penthouse and swiping my card so it would let me in.

I was humming a random tune on the way up, my mood getting a little better. When the elevator doors slid open, an actual humming noise could be heard from behind the doors. It sounded like a string instrument, like a violin. A sorrow melody drifted into my ears, one that I hadn't heard before, but seemed strangely familiar. It seemed nostalgic in a way.

Was that Ikuto?

I moved closer to the door and stood by it for a long time, closing my eyes and enjoying the beautiful melody. Instruments weren't really my thing, but I could tell that Ikuto was some sort of professional. Skill was definitely in that music, not many people could sound like that.

Listening for a while more, I couldn't help but feel a bit of déjà vu.

When he finished playing the song, I slowly slid my room key in the slot and stepped in.

"Another beautiful song Ikuto!" I laughed. "But they always seem so sad…play a happier song for me, ne?" Grinning at him, I had yet to realize that I was completely out of character.

Ikuto stared back at me in shock. He was lying on the couch with his hands resting behind his head...and there was no sign of a violin. My gaze darted around the room, finding large CD player in the corner. As if on cue, the same song started to play again.

"Um, I m-mean…" My cheeks heated and I stared at the floor beneath me. "It just…flew out of my mouth…" I forced a laugh. "You don't even play the violin, right?" Peeking through strands of my pink hair, I tried to find an expression on his features.

There was no response from him as he continued to stare at me, slowly sitting up.

"I-Ikuto?" I suddenly found the courage to look straight at him.

He didn't stop staring, but he started to walk towards me in large yet slow steps. I started to back up but I ended up hitting a wall.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Are you sure you don't remember anything?" he asked. "Anything at all? About our last year of university?"

I froze.

Last year of university…

_Did he…do anything to you?_

Oh god, did Ikuto actually…?

I couldn't bring myself to say the word…I just couldn't, and I didn't want to believe it. He couldn't have…

_Raped._

"G-Get away from me!" I shouted immediately, pushing against his chest. Surprisingly, he moved back without me giving any effort and I backed away from him a bit. He was now staring at me as if I was some sort of psycho.

"J-Just, give me some space…" I mumbled. "I don't remember you. Whatever you did in the past…I don't remember anything. You're a stranger to me, Ikuto."

There was a slight movement from him at my words, almost a flinch but much, much less noticeable.

"Amu, you definitely remember me," he stated surely, his eyes piercing into mine. Then he pointed to a door to the right. "Go in that room, and look behind the door."

I almost didn't go, but with the gaze he was giving me, it seemed like an order. I had no option.

Walking towards to what I remembered was Ikuto's room, I slowly pushed open the door to reveal two neatly made beds. Everything else looked neat too, from the dresser, to the closet, to the large armchair sitting in the corner. The only thing that really looked out of place was the large teddy bear sitting on one of the beds, which I guessed belonged to Tsukiko.

Before analyzing too much of Ikuto's room, I looked to where Ikuto had directed me—behind the door. Carefully stepping inside, I pushed the door away lightly, seeing a grey violin case leaning against the wall. I drew back from it, not believing my eyes.

_How did I know that?_

I ran out of the room in search of Ikuto.

"Oi, Ikuto! Why…" I trailed off when I didn't see him. "Ikuto?" I called.

He had probably left while I was in his room. I thought of looking for him, but with the penthouse being huge, I didn't know if I'd find him or not. All I could do was stand there and stare into his room dumbly, trying to think of an explanation for my actions toward Ikuto and his violin.

The haunting music still playing on the CD player rang through my ears the whole time.

I knew I had heard that song before…

* * *

**Lena: Was this chapter a bit too rushed? Did I give those hints a little too early? :(**

**Lily-Rose: Lena! Its FINE! **

**Kitsu: For once, I agree with Lily. Stop being so low on self confidence! Its fine!**

**Ikuto: You could've put a _little _more fluff for Amu and I...**

**Amu: Nope, no way! Not for me, only for you. I don't want any of that! DX**

**Lena: Usotsuki. :P**

**Ikuto: Liar. :P**

**Amu: When will there be a day when you guys believe me?**

**Lily-Rose: Never, if you're always lying. :P**

**Amu: *sigh***

**Kitsu: Anyways, please R&R for my sake! Lena will start worrying that her writing's bad if she doesn't get any...and I'm the one that gets to hear her rants. *sigh***

**Lena: Hey! I don't do that! DX But I _would _appreciate it if you reviewed. It helps me with my writing, knowing that there are people out there who read my work. :)**


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